Rollover car wash systems are particularly popular for their space saving qualities as compared to tunnel or conveyor systems. The term “rollover” is used to define a car wash system or structure which carries out a vehicle washing process during which the vehicle being washed remains substantially in one position while the apparatus which delivers washing fluid and otherwise controls the washing function moves back and forth in a reciprocating fashion over the stationery vehicle. Rollover car washers may utilize brushes, felt strip curtains, high pressure sprays and/or combinations thereof. The term “car” is used herein to denote vehicles generally and passenger vehicles in particular.
Typical of rollover car washers is an inverted U-shaped gantry structure which rolls back and forth on floor mounted rails throughout the length of a car washing location. An example is shown in the U.S. Patent to Larson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,293 issued May 22, 1962. The Larson system includes a large cabinet-like gantry 12 carrying a pivotal, counterweighted top brush and a pair of side brushes mounted on pivot arms to permit them to converge and diverge during the washing process. A similar system also having a large floor-mounted, reciprocating gantry is shown in the U.S. patent to Cirino, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,803 issued Sep. 13, 1966.
There are numerous criticisms to be made of the typical floor-mounted gantry-type, rollover car washers including but not limited to the two specific examples identified above.
The first criticism arises out of the fact that the gantries which are used to support the associated car wash equipment are large structures which, during much of the washing process, fully envelope the vehicle. This can evoke claustrophobic feelings in occupants of the vehicles being washed.
A second criticism arises out of the fact that track rollovers require that the floor of the washing location be cluttered with structural components including tracks which increase the difficulty of maintenance and which are constantly exposed to a corrosive atmosphere created by water and chemical sprays which are used in the washing operations.
A third criticism arises with respect to those brush-type gantry systems utilizing a non-pivoted track type top brush which moves through a pure vertical path thus requiring exceptionally long travel of the gantry to wash a stationary vehicle from end to end.
A fourth criticism arises out of the fact that the typical brush-type rollover uses only two side brushes, also requiring long travel of the gantry and providing insufficient washing contact at the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle.
These criticisms are exemplary and not exhaustive.